The Wrong Path to Tokyo
by Sakura's Shadows
Summary: Sano has had a problem with his gambling instinct recently. Trusting it seems to get him in all sorts of trouble. Can trusting it be a good thing though?


The Wrong Path to Tokyo

**Disclaimer- **I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

It's another little simple oneshot I wanted to write. I really like the way it turned out, and I wanted to write a fic all about Sano and his family. The manga and pure boredom helped inspire this.

* * *

Summer was at its peek. The temperatures were the highest they had been all that season. The forest was a forgiving place. The trees growing over the path gave some relief from the brutal sun. Sanosuke Sagara was walking along this very path. He ran his bandaged hand through his hair and sighed. _It never took this long to get to Tokyo before. I hope there's a town coming up soon. _He rubbed his growling belly and sighed pitifully. He hated when he was hungry.

Earlier that day he had woken up bright and early so he could make it to Tokyo by dusk. As he walked down the path, he realized the sun was falling into the hills and his plans were ruined. He thought back to every direction he took. When he saw that fork in the road he took a left. _I should have taken the right! Kuso! _He should have never trusted his gambling instinct. It wasn't as sharp as he would like it to be. Trusting it has gotten him into a few predicaments, all of which got him a scolding by the Missy (Kaoru).

He sighed. _Today has been such a wonderful day... _Rolling his eyes, He tripped over a rock on the ground. He fell face first into the dry earth, cursing up a storm as he did so.

"GAH! KUSO... Stupid rock!" He yelled into the ground, not bothering to move. The frustrated Sano looked up slightly when he heard light footsteps and a small giggle.

"What are you doing on the ground like that?" She asked him. Sano quickly got up to sit on his butt.

The girl broke into a fit of giggles, her whole body shaking hard.

"Stop laughing!" Sano growled, spitting out a mouthful of dirt. The girl just laughed harder.

"STOP!" He yelled as loud he could. She never did, so he just stared at her dumbly. Then he got an idea. He stood and put his hand on her head, forcing her to look at him. "Now stop."

She slapped away his hand and smoothed down her hair. "You have no manners!" She yelled at him. Sano took a step back when he had a vision of Kaoru and her deadly shinai. He cringed a bit, making the girl throw her nose in the air. "Jerk," she muttered and started walking away.

Sano put out his dirty hand, "Hold on a sec'!"

The girl stopped and listened, never turning to face him.

"Is there a town near here?" He asked.

The girl laughed sarcastically. "Oh no! None that I know of." She just shrugged, which irritated Sanosuke. "Liar!" He yelled at her.

"Why should I help such an impolite man?" She asked, slightly facing him.

"Because he's lost and hungry," Sano said through gritted teeth.

"Hmm...Fine. Follow me," She started walking, then abruptly stopped, "If you touch me you die." Her eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, whatever," Sano muttered, wiping all the dirt of him that he could.

As the walked, Sano looked out ahead of him past the girl. He saw a few lights and then a whole town. There was a simple wooden gate with a sign over it that said 'Shinshu'. _Well of all places. _Sano gave a slight smile. He hadn't been here in ten years. His eyes then gazed to the girl who walked silently in front of him. _Could she be her? _

_That small hut was located on a little farm outside the village. A little brown haired boy sneaked out his window, not knowing his little sister secretly followed him. He had been awaiting this night since he was seven. Before he went out he went to give his mother, Naname, a small kiss on the forehead. Little Sanosuke knew it would break her heart to see that in the morning her only son wouldn't be there. Also, he knew his little sister would be heartbroken. She adored her big brother. Uki would survive though. She would become just like her mother. _

_Sanosuke sighed and stared at the long path. He had wanted to help in the Revolution, and this was the only way. He knew he was young, but somebody would take him in and train him. His father did not want him to go, but when Sansuke persisted, he told the little one to go, that he didn't care what happened. Sansuke knew he would never be able to mend his relationship with his father. so he decided to follow his beliefs and ranaway. He was only eight, but he could get through with it. There was a place for everyone after all. _

_He peered at his home one last time and took a step forward, but before he did, he was embraced from behind. It was his little sister Uki. _

_"Where are you going?" She asked. _

_Sanosuke sighed, "I'm leaving to go on a journey." _

_Uki started crying and hugged Sanosuke tighter. "Please don't go Sano." _

_"I have to Uki," He made her let go and walked away. He never looked back. He could only picture the little girl with the olive brown eyes in the dirt crying for her brother. A small tear even fell down his cheek. It was the first time he had ever cried._

"Hey!" She slapped him a bit to get him out of his small daze.

"What?" He asked, obviously annoyed.

The girl braced the bag that carried that was full of cheep tofu. "Here's an Inn. This is a travelers' town, so they'll let you in for free for a night and give you a free meal and bath."

"Yeah?" Sano asked eagerly. It was out of character for him, but he was famished.

"Yeah. Now go eat. Your stomach is scaring me," She laughed a bit when Sano patted his tummy and gave pitiful sigh. The girl began to walk away. Sano watched her with a smile

"Thanks Uki," He said and walked in the door before the girl could respond.

"Hey!" Sano never turned to answer, and she did not bother to follow him.

The girl shook her head at the odd man. Then, she watched as he stood at the desk where the old lady who ran the Inn sat. She was appalled by his messy hair and dirty body. She immediately rushed that strange man into the back for a nice hot bath. _You meet a lot of strange people in this town. He's the strangest yet. _She noticed the back of his white jacket. It had the character that meant evil on the back of it. _I wonder what that's for...?_

The next day Uki awoke in her small hut. Her little brother Outa was wanting some food from the groceries she bought last night. Her father was busy outside, tending their small radish garden. Outa started whining, so Uki quickly rummaged around until she had a bowl for of hot noodles for Outa. She handed him a pair of chopsticks and smiled as her little brother gobbled down the steaming noodles.

She walked outside, taking in the morning air. It was going to be a pleasant day. Out in the distance on the main road she saw the man in the white jacket. Smiling, she shouted at him.

"Hey!" The man turned his head, looking at the girl who called him.

"I never caught your name!" She replied.

Sano leaned on the fence on the side of the road and smirked, chewing a on a piece of grass. In his hand he had a map. He knew this would defiantly keep him from getting lost. Sano looked over at Uki. He didn't want to tell her his name, but he did anyways.

"Sagara Sanosuke!" He shouted back and walked away.

Uki sat down, staring as he walked away. She watched as his jacket fluttered in the small breeze, and she watched him run his hand through his his hair. Fingering, her yukata string she started to cry, but it was ahppy cry. That string went to that very jacket that the brown headed man wore. The jacket had belonged to her father. On his seventh birthday her father had given Sano that jacket. Sano must've sewn on the evil character. He never liked the string to the jacket because it was made of silk. He had thought it was too feminine, so Sano had given it to her. It was the only thing she had that had once belonged to him.

"Brother," She whispered with a small smile. A tear trickled down her cheek and into the crease of her smile.


End file.
